Piedmont Natural Gas has donated $500,000 to the THRIVE campaign for Charlotte’s arts and cultural sectors.

The gift will help THRIVE create a platform for long-terms arts funding, which has suffered in recent years as workplace donations and government funding dropped.

“Today’s gift is in addition to Piedmont’s ongoing annual support of the Arts and Science Council, which we believe is essential to a thriving arts community in Charlotte,” CEO Thomas Skains said in a statement.

Skains said Piedmont views the gift as “a strategic investment in Charlotte and in the richness and diversity that a vibrant arts community brings to us all.”

The THRIVE campaign is a donor-led initiative managed through a partnership with Foundation for the Carolinas.

Hugh McColl, former chairman of Bank of America and chairman of the campaign, called Piedmont “an extraordinary supporter of Charlotte’s most important charitable needs.”